Do kilts have a "break-in" period?

[longhuntr74]

I don't know if Steve said it (if he did, I overlooked it)...but there is NO STABILIZER STRIP under the canvas on this kilt! The stabilizer strip holds the weight of the kilt between the two buckles. In creating this "sticky" thread, it would be great to show a side by side comparison of what is MISSING with this kilt and what a PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED kilt looks like. Maybe I'll attempt to do that when I make my next kilt (which might be a while from now, unfortunately!).

[Tobus]

The worst part is I am the type of person who would have just made up an excuse and ignored the problem. I would have thought there was nothing wrong with the construction of the kilt. Good to know you are not so easily fooled.

Actually, I was so easily fooled! I had no idea anything was amiss here until I innocently asked the question. After realizing that my kilt was fitting me differently, I figured maybe it was just a function of a "break-in" of the kilt. Turns out, I was completely wrong. The expert advice and detailed look that Steve is giving us has made it crystal clear what the issue is, and I would have been none the wiser without it!

I'm sure that people who have Barb's book (or otherwise are "in the know" about kiltmaking) are not seeing anything earth-shattering here. But for the rest of us who just enjoy kilts but have never delved into the details of construction, this thread is proving to be a very good "kiltmaking for dummies" type affair.

[crash]

Wow, this post has been a great read so far and I can't wait for the next installments. They say it's a poor day when you don't learn something. It looks like I've had a pretty good day.

[billsides]

The kilt is normally worn above your waist unlike pants and as men tend to have a belly bulge above their waist which usually shrinks most when weight is lost, it is understandable that kilts tend to slacken off more than pants if weight is lost. My experience with new kilts from a variety of manufacturers from super cheap to expensive hand sewn and in acrylic, PV and wool of 10, 13 and 16 oz weights is that all slackened off on the first wearing then remained constant thereafter. Kilts can be a better test than pants belt size for determining whether your weight is changing.

Bill

[The Wizard of BC]

If you have been watching this thread you know we are now ready to start putting this kilt back together and get it back to Tobus so he can enjoy wearing it again.

The first step is to install the stabilizer to the inside of the kilt. The job of the stabilizer is to give strength to the back of the kilt between the buckles as you have seen.


Last night as I was watching TV I sewed the stabilizer into the kilt. Here is a photo of the finished stabilizer.



The white strip of fabric is the stabilizer itself. This is carefully cut from a piece of cotton similar to a bed sheet. This fabric is very strong along the grain or weave. It does not stretch very much so, while light weight, makes a very good reinforcement.

I thought it best to stitch this using a white stabilizer and black thread so you could see the stitches better. Notice how many stitches there are. The stabilizer is stitched to the back of all the pleats to anchor it and reaches across the back of the kilt from one buckle to the other.

You can see one pencil stuck through the strap hole and the other two point to the location where the buckles will be sewn on the outside of the kilt.

Next step is the interfacing.

[Barb T]

Or you can have a little fun with the stabilizer, because it never shows (unless someone like the Wizard deconstructs your kilt....). I always use American flag cloth.

[Emmet]

An interesting thing to note is the stitching on the two stabilisers just posted, very interesting to see thats there's more then one way to do things

[Paul Henry]

An interesting thing to note is the stitching on the two stabilisers just posted, very interesting to see thats there's more then one way to do things

There are many ways to do the stabilising strip,I use old and fine linen shirts!

[Emmet]

Funnily enough I use an old linen jacket for my strips

[The Wizard of BC]

I've had some time to work on Tobus's kilt today so here is the continuation of this thread -------

The next step is to install the interfacing.

Most kilt makers today use what is called 'Hair Canvas". This is a woven fabric that is stiffer in one direction than the other. It is also dimensionally stable which means that along the grain this fabric does not stretch. This fabric helps support the back of the kilt giving it shape.



But the most important reason for the interfacing is to take the stresses of strapping the kilt on without transferring those stresses to the Tartan fabric or the stitching.

Where the stabilizer stretches across the back of the kilt from buckle to buckle, the interfacing spans the entire length of the kilt including both aprons.

There is a problem though. In this photo you can see that when laid out, because the Fell is tapered, the kilt forms a curve. If you cut the interfacing in a matching curve you will loose the strength and resistance to stretch. You must fold darts into the fabric forming it to the curve of the kilt.





Everywhere the interfacing fabric is folded must be sewn down. As you saw from the before photos, if the folds of fabric are not sewn, they will open like an accordion defeating the whole reason that the interfacing is there.

Here is how I sew the folds of interfacing. Again, I am using a contrasting black thread so it is easier to see in these photos.




And yes, as others have pointed out, there are many ways to stitch the interfacing. Mine is my way. It is no better or worse than another kiltmaker as long as the fabric conforms to the shape of the kilt and will not stretch. When the kilt is worn the interfacing should act like one long piece of strong fabric.
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